Apparatus for dehydrating food products



F. L. NICHOLS. APPARATUS FOR DEHYDRATING FOOD PRODUCTS. APPLICATIOINFILED FEB. 4, 1919. 1,351,118. PatentedAug. 31,1920

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74 & INVENTOR' AT EY F. L. NICHOLS. APPARATUS FOR DEHYDRATING FOODPRODUCTS. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 4, 1919.

1 351. 1 1 8.. I Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

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INVENTOR ATTORNEY UNITED STATES r rEur oer-ice.

FRANK Ii. NICHOLS, F STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT.

APPARATUS FOR DEHYDIRATING FOOD PRODUCTS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 31, 1920..

Application filed February 4, 1919. Serial No. 274,866.

, Dehydrating Food Product s; and I do here- I by declare the following"to be a full, clear,-

and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention relates to a novel and improved apparatus forpreserving vegetables, fruits, meats, herbs, etc, by rapid vdehydration.

The principal objects of the invention are-First, to secure a moreuniform and rapid evaporation of the moisture contained in the materialto be dried; second, to insure a uniform distribution of the heatapplied, preventing local concentration of heat whereby the recuperativequalities of the product are impaired; third, so to apply the heatingmedium that the various portions of a given charge are subjectedsimultaneously to substantially identical heating conditions; andlastly, to attain these ends by convenient, compact and relativelyinexpensive means capable of adaptation to use in connection with thevarious forms of heaters familiar in domestic economy.

I have illustrated my invention in a preferred form; especially adaptedto domestic use, in the accompanying draw: iugs' wherein Figure 1 is aperspective viewof my dehydrator shown closed, Fig. 2 is a frontelevation of the same with the dporsre moved,'Fig. 3 is a verticaltransverse section the same, some of the trays being omitted, and Fimsisa perspective view of one of I the deflecting plates which separate theindependent passages connecting the main Hues.

In the specific form shown, which is designed to be set upon a st0ve.'or other heated base, the containing'casing 10 (preferably constructedof sheet metal) is entirely closed at the back and two SldGS'. save forthe back, to insure a more uniform temperature perforations'll placednear the bottom and intended to admit the air which is heated byradiation or convection from below. The bottom of the casing ispreferably left open.

The front wall of the casing is provided with two openings 12 and 13 topermit convenient in lation of the slidin trays upon which the materialto be dried is supported, and a door or doors 14, preferably hinged atthe side edges serve to close the container during use. These doors arefastened by the 0 swinging catch 15 or other suitable means.

The top of the container is closed save at the two sides where theopenings 16 and 17 permit the escape of the moisture laden air from theoutlet fines.

Extending from the back Wall of the container to the front andsymmetrically placed on each side are two series of superposeddefleeting plates 18, so placed as to form inclined passages between thecentral space or main inlet flue l9 and the two side outlet Hues 20, 21.Those plates are preferably arranged to serve the double purpose ofpartitions between successive hot air passages and supportsfor the trays22, upon which the material to be dried is supported. With this latterend in view, the outer and higher edge of each plate 18 is provided witha flat horizontal supporting ledge 23, while the inner edge isdownwardly curved and is turned under to form a second supporting ledge(see Fig. 4c). The outer lodge of each plate 18 is placed upon the samelevel as the inner ledge of the plate above it, and

the plates 18 are so placed with relation to the openings 12 and 13 inthe front of the casing. that the trays 22 can he slid into place uponthose supportingledrres through said openings. as shown in 1 19;; 2. The

inner edges of the topmost trays are su'p- B0 ported by a plate 25.supported from the top of the casing, as shown in Fig. 3.

lit will be seen that the construction described afi'ords a centralinlet flue 19 and two outlet lines 20 and 21 at the sides, and

that, between the plates 18 iniilepcndcnt branch passages affordcommunication be tween the inlet and outlet flues. The top of the'inletflue is closed by the plate 25 and by the topmost trays 22, while theside lines are closed at the bottom by the lowermost plates 18. but findtheir outlet at the op'cningrs 16 and 17 in the top of the casing. A.bafile plate 26 may be placed in the lower part of the casing, extendingfrom front to i5 i i bottoms (preferably by forming the botgases risingdirectly from a flame. In such cases this plate series to intercept thetoo intenselyheated gases and causes them to be mixed with cooler airentering through the g openings l l and around the outer parts or theopen bottom 01' the casing.

As shown in the drawings, I preter to place the deflecting'plates 18 sothat each plate is set somewhat nearer the center than the one above it.This equalizes the distribution of hot air through the successivepassages byrausln the inlet flue to become 1 rower toward top, whileeach outletflue expands upward.

The trays 22 are termed with periorated toms otwire mesh and the hot airis thus permittedto pass through each tray placed material carried uponit.

in its appropriate branch passage, and acts to carry'olt the moisturecontained in the It will be seen. that, when my drier is placed upon astove, or hot air is otherwise supplied to it, the original main columnof -v dry heated air will be subdivided into sepa-' rate strean'ls,flowing independently through .the branch passages, and will unite in amain; column ofcooler air carrying oil the moisture from the materialtreated. lin consequence, none oi the moisture from one part ofthecharge will be carried to any other portion, and all parts will besimultaneously dried under substantially identical conditions. Theprocess of drying a given charge ,will take less time and there will beno dan- J ger oii overheating-one portion in order to complete theeconomical dehydration of other parts.

i It is to be understood that, "althou h I have shown herein a preferredform or apparatus especially adapted to dehydration on a small scale, asis suitable to domestic .use, my invention-mam also be embodied in innerand outer edges with tray supporting ledges'and perforated trayssupported in a substantially horizontal position upon said ledges. ,1 gi 2. A dehydratingapparatus comprisinga containing casing h'a'vingatapering-inlet line in the center and two oppositely tapering outletflues at its sides and having an opening for admitting trays and closingmeans therefor in front; in Combination 1 with superposedinclineddeflecting plates "opposite said front opening forming'separate inclinedpassages adapted. toireceive trays through said opening and arranged tocommunicate on one side with said, inlet flue and onv the other fines.

side with said twoputle't 3. A dehydrating apparatus comprising a casingopen at the bottom and having air inlet openings around the lowerpart ofthesides thereof, deflecting plates-arranged in two superposed series,one on each side of a tapering central flue and having oppositelytapering fines on the outer side of each series, trays adapted to slideinto plaee between said deflecting plates, and doors in the front ofsaid casing adapted to admit said trays and permit their Withdrawal atwill.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature;

FRANK L. mesons,

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